Times Free Press to cut 34 staffers

Chattanooga's only daily newspaper is facing staff cuts, expected to reduce the newspaper's staffing by 34.

Chattanooga Times Free Press president Jeff DeLoach said in a statement:

"In an effort to better position the Chattanooga Times Free Press to continue providing award-winning journalism and advertising for the community, the company is making structural changes that better align us with today’s technology, which have also resulted in the elimination of some jobs, according to Jeff DeLoach, president of Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Today the Times Free Press has reduced its workforce by 34 positions as part of a necessary strategy to align the company to meet consumer demands for how news is received and consumed, DeLoach said. Seventy percent of the personnel reductions are in support service areas that are being absorbed by advances in technology as well as centralization of activity within our company, he explained.

“While every job loss is a difficult decision, we believe these changes prepare us for continued future growth,” says DeLoach. “With improvements in technology and changes in the way we now interact with readers and advertising clients, we want to make sure we have the best resources to effectively and efficiently serve our community today and tomorrow.”

“We believe today’s changes allow us to be more efficient while causing no disruptions to the quality or delivery of the content that our readers and advertisers have come to trust,” added DeLoach. “It is our intention to continuously evolve, as all businesses do, ensuring that we continue to meet the expectations of our readers and our advertising partners for years to come.”

The Times Free Press and Channel 3 are newspartners and routinely share content.